Character recognition systems are well known in the art and are characterized by an apparatus which decodes received optical signals corresponding to characters or geometric figures into electrical signals which can be manipulated in word processors or the like.
An example of known systems is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,972. Disclosed therein is a character recognition system which employs analytic techniques to develop a set of codes representative of the geometry of a character by means of a two-dimensional matrix of digital video pixel elements. Codes are used to identify types of segments and groups of segments in each row or column of the matrix, sequences of such segments and the durations and orientations of sequences. The '972 system further includes an apparatus that operates in a learn mode to relate the codes to known characters and a process mode to recognize unknown characters from previously learned codes.
Another example of a known character recognition technique is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,856. The '856 method identifies a presented character after optical scanning of a substrate to yield an array of voltages representative of the information content of incremental elements that collectively form the presented character. The array of voltages are quantized at plural quantization levels whereby a corresponding plurality of data field geometric configurations are developed. The data field geometric configurations are presented by binary signals and are in approximate conformity with the geometric pattern of the presented character. Each data field geometric configuration represents a normalized scan pattern, thereby compensating for non-uniformities in the presented character. The information content of discreet areas of the plural data field the geometric configurations is compared in sequential matter with predetermined characters and the compared discreet area is characterized as one of the predetermined characters in response to a favorable comparison. The presented character is identified as a known type when a sequence of characterizations is obtained in a preestablished order associated with that known type.
Prior art systems as exemplified by those set forth above are characterized by a method and apparatus which attempts to identify the specific character, element or geometric figure that has been received. In that regard they seek to determine character or geometric features such as edge transitions, and assemble therefrom a sequence of segments each having a geometric relationship to other segments. Initially, known systems must be taught through a training algorithm what each sequence of segments and/or curves correspond to which characters or geometric figures. Consequently known prior art systems require an intermediate step of recognition achieved by an analysis of code segments edge transitions, etc.
It would advantageous to have a character recognition system which would directly correlate a received pixel pattern with a character or geometric figure without an intermediate step of analyzing component or segment parts. The present system is drawn toward such an invention.